Chapter 5: A Choice Zora POV……

“Get married for just 3 months and save us from going poor forever,” the both men said.

“Three months?” Adrian and I chorused. Things are getting really ugly now.

Now this is getting more serious. I haven’t even agreed to get married to my worst enemy, and now they want me to be married to him for a whopping three months.

“No! Can’t do.” The words escaped my lips faster than I could imagine. “It’s better I end up poor than get married to this jerk,” I pointed accusingly at Adrian.

“Calm down, sweet girl. It’s not like I was planning to walk down the altar with you too,” Adrian snapped back, his eyes filled with irritation.

Irritation? That pissed me off. He has no right to be irritated. I should be the one doing all the irritating, not him.

I wouldn’t let him get away with that. “I told you, it’s better I get married to a goat than get married to you,” I hissed, my voice not betraying the hatred I housed for him.

“Oh please, and I would rather get married to a fly than to get married to a rude woman like you.” His words stung harder than I imagined.

I charged at him. “Say that one more time and I will slice your throat open!” I darted towards him like I would beat him up.

“You want to beat me? You are too small. You are just a piece of cake for me to handle, so get lost from my presence before I smash you down with my pinky finger.”

“With your pinky finger? You dare not, you useless jerk!” My hands clenched in anger, and my blood boiled.

“I told you this wasn’t going to end well,” I heard my mom’s sorrowful voice. For a moment, I had forgotten our parents were still with us.

“I knew it would come to this,” Dad chipped in, and I was forced to look at him, but not with compassion, but anger. He was the cause of all this. If he hadn’t borrowed that loan from that haggy old man, then I wouldn’t be put in such a tight spot.

“You are the cause of all this, so stop playing the pity card,” I rolled my eyes at my dad. My anger had doubled.

“Why did you have to borrow a loan in the first place? Why would you do that? And now I have to pay for your own sins?

“That’s so heartless of you, Dad, and I am not happy with you.” I moved closer to him. “And for your information, I would rather go poor than get married to either man.” I wasn’t kidding.

“I know I am to blame, and I take all blames without complaints, but please, for the sake of everyone, just agree to marry Adrian, just for 3 months.” Dad’s voice was drenched with sorrow as he spoke, and for a second, I nearly fell for it.

“Excuse me! I have not agreed to marry her either, so she’s the only one who has a choice to make,” Adrian interrupted, his voice dripping with malice.

“Son, you don’t have a choice. You will eventually marry her,” his dad chirped.

“I don’t have a choice?” Adrian stressed in distress. “How can you say I don’t have a choice?”

“Your mother…..you know her health is failing really badly, and she is scheduled for an operation next month. If we go broke, she will eventually die. Or do you want that?” My eyes flew open in shock like he was speaking to me. “Oh my God! That’s sad.”

For the first time in my life, I saw the look of defeat in Adrian’s face. He sighed deeply and couldn’t say another thing.

“Please, Zora,” his dad turned to me. “I know you don’t like my son, but for the sake of my wife, please marry him.” As he spoke, his voice cracked. He almost cried.

I stared at him, silenced with emotion. Mrs. Wolfe, his wife, is a very sweet woman who has been nothing but nice to me, but marrying her son to save her life was a very hard decision to take.

“I don’t want to marry you either, Zora. But please, for the sake of my poor mom, let’s make this happen.” Adrian’s voice was calm and humble for the first time.

Wait! He was calm and humble? Adrian?

“Please, Zora,” my mom chipped in, “just 3 months and everything would go back to normal again.”

“We are only doing this to scare that old man away and make him take the money offer as agreed,” Dad added.

“He isn’t willing to back down on you because he doesn’t believe that you and Adrian are actually going to be a couple, so we need to make him believe so we can scare him off,” Dad continued.

I sighed, already lost in thought. I had sworn never to agree to this, but why am I suddenly having a rethink?

I should stand by my words, but it was so hard. Maybe because I was considering Adrian’s mom’s health? Or because I don’t want to get married to that old man? Or maybe because I am scared of being poor?

There was no clear reason why, but I couldn’t stop myself from rethinking. I hate Adrian, I hate him so much, but I have a lot to lose if I don’t give in.

“It’s just a 3-month contract, please,” Dad’s voice was heard again, “then everything would return to normal.”

“Please, Zora, for the sake of my wife, give this a good thought, please. I really need my wife to be alive, I really do need her by my side, so please,” Mr. Wolfe chipped in too.

“I know it’s a difficult choice for you, Zora, but we have a lot hanging if you decline this offer. We have a lot to lose, so please, let’s make this work,” Mom said.

I was tired of listening to their convincing talks. I needed to be on my own to decide if this is really something I want to do. “I will be in my room to give this a long thought,” I dismissed myself and took the stairs immediately.

But even as I took the stairs, I already knew what I wanted. I just needed to be sure I could handle it.